82 - Greatness of Gaya

Brahma said:

1. O Vyasa, listen. I shall narrate, in brief, the details of the greatness of Gaya. 

2. There was a demon Gaya of great vitality. Once, he performed a terrible penance which scorched all living beings. 

3-5. Devas, scorched extremely by his austerity, took refuge in Lord Vishnu. 

Lord Vishnu said: 

"When my great body is felled, all of you shall be experiencing. welfare within." The gods said "So be it." Thereafter, one day, he culled lotuses for worship of Shiva from the Milk-ocean and brought them to Kikata. The demon was deluded by Vishnu's Maya and instead of proceeding with his worship he lay down and slept. Then Vishnu killed him with the mace. 

6-7. Thenceforward, Lord Vishnu has been staying there with the mace lifted up, ready to offer salvation. Over the purified mortal remains of that demon, Lord Shiva, in the form of a linga (phallic emblem) and Vishnu and Brahma too pre sided there. Lord Vishnu the primordial deity demarcated the boundaries of the place and proclaimed that it would be a holy place.

8. A man who performs sacrifices, Shraddha, Pindadana and ceremonial baths there will attain heaven and the world of Brahma, never the hell. 

9. Understanding the holy character of Gaya, Brahma himself performed a sacrifice there and honoured the brahmins who came there as Rutviks. 

10. The Lord created a great stream of juice (of milk and milk products), ponds, etc. and different types of foodstuffs fruits, etc. He then created the divine Kamadhenu1.

1. The divine cow who fulfils all desires.

11. The land 15 kilometres all round constituting the holy site of Gaya was given as gift to the Brahmins. 

12. The easy acquisition of the land gift made the brahmins complacent. Then the brahmins were cursed. 

13. Your learning will not extend even to three generations. Your riches will not survive your successive third heir. The river will flow with water not milk. The mountains will be mere rocks (not fruits and other edibles). 

14. The cursed brahmins pleaded and the lord relented and said: "Those who perform Shraddha here, will attain holy worlds and Brahma's abode. I will consider myself worshipped if they worship you." 

15. Knowledge of the supreme Brahman, performance of Shraddha at Gaya, death in a cowshed and residence in Kurukshetra - these are the four ways of attaining salvation. 

16. Holy oceans, rivers, sacred ponds, wells and eddies go unto Gayatirtha for a holy dip. There is no doubt about this. 

17. The five great sins, viz. the murder of a brahmin, drinking wine, stealing, illicit intercourse with the preceptor's wife and association with sinners are removed by performing Shraddha at Gaya. 

18. Those who die and are not cremated duly, those who are killed by animals and dacoits, and those who die due to snake bite attain salvation if Gayashraddha is performed unto them. 

19. It is difficult to explain in detail the greatness of the benefits accruing from offering food oblations at Gaya even in twenty crores of years.